Rail-bond.



F. E. JOHNSON.

RAIL BOND.

APPLICATION 2mm JULY 24, 1911.

Patented Mar. 19,1912.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK E. JOHNSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

' RAIL-BOND.

F able."

Application tiled Iiily useful. Improvement in Rail-.Bonds,of which ,thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates 'to improvements in rail bonds and has for itsobJect to provide a new improved deviceof this description. Theinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure1., is a view of one form of bond embodyinginvention; Fig. 2 is anenlarged sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3-is asectional view through the head of; tlie.rail before the connectionbetween ,ilierails is in place; Fig. 4 is a sectional view through theconductor for connecting lthewrails together. a

Like numerals refer to like parts through- ;out- 'the several figures.-

This invention has, among other objects, to;.electric all connect theheads of rails .part-of an electric circuit. ,L'I n carrying out theinvention, I form receiving openings in the heads of the. rails.[lieserecciving open ngs 1 are formed by cutting away aport-ion of thematerial and lfit vin a portion of the material intact so as to farm theposts 2 integral with the rails.

,By this means there is provided two opposed engaging faces 3 and 4 onthe rail.

--ri1ep se2' is preferably indented or other- 'w s'd'formed so as toreceive a portion of thcmaterial of the conductor. As herein shown, thispost is provided near its end with the groove 5. The connector 6 isprovided with the terminals or contact pieces 7, said contact piecesro'vided with openings 8 for the posts ii. hese contactpicces are ofsuch size asto snugly fit into the receiving openings 1 in the heads ofthe rails,'and the openings 8 are of such size as to receive the)osts-t. The contact pieces 7 are 'made so tint when forced into thereeeiving openings 1 the metal will be spread so as to make an intimatecontact with both of the faces 8 and 4. This result may be secured in andesired manner, as for instance by ma ing the contact ieces somewhatlonger than the depths o the receiving spaces 1 so that when the contactpieces are hammered or forced into position, the ends theteof will engathe bottoms of the openings 1 sofas to resist the force orblpwSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

Serial No. 840,095.

and thus cause the material to spread so as to make an intimate contact,some of the. material entering the groove 5 as shown in Fig. 2. It willbe noted that the posts 2 being in the middle of the contact pieces willinsure the proper spreading of. the material under compression so as' tosecure the desired intimate contact. This construction adds greatly tothe conductivity because of the fact that there are two com ucting'areas 3 and 4 directly connected and integral with the railitself, thematerial of the connector being in intimate contact with both oi theseconducting areas. This forms what ma be called a double contactterminal. This construction also increases the mechanical strength ofthe connection. If desired, a suitable material such as tin or any kindof solder may he used, this solder being placed upon the outer and innerfaces of the terminal or upon the faces 4 and When the bond terminal'isdriven in place, heat may 'he appliedsufiicient to melt the solder so asto cause a more perfect union.

'ith the eonstructlon shown, it will be noted that one end of theopening 8 is closed so that when theparts are in position, the contactterminals are sealed so 'as to entirely cover and protect the posts 1.This prevents the contact. with the post from becoming deteriorated bycorrosion or the like. it will further be noted that there is hereprovided an electrical contact where the two parts each have twoseparate concentric contact faces, the contact faces of one piece makingcontact with the contact faces of the other piece.

It will be. noted that by means of this construotion and particularlybecause of the post .2 integral with the rail, there are certainadvantages not found in other rail I bonds, among which may beenumerated.

the advantages due to the increase in the gripping surfaces which givestwo separate gri 'iping surfaces in contact with the rail, one inside ofthe head and the other outside of the head, and both cooperatin to ripand hold the bond against remova A urther advantage results from thefact that upon, the inside. -,flhia non-corrosive contact surface isobtained even when there is poor workmanship and the bondin claim: g j j1.,An electrical connection comprising carelessness in placposition,

two pieces to be connected, each provide i ii e' piece with w -ductorconnectingsaid ieces and provided .said ,posts,

with a receiving opening, a post surrounded receivm ceiving openingsfaconductor connectin so i. v

, 3.-An' elect ical connection eomprisin nals havin said pieces andprovided with contact termiopenings {or said posts, said openings 0osedat their outer ends, said a terminals fitting into said receivingopenings in said pieces so as to surround said posts.

two pieces to be connected, each} provide with I ;-,-'with each of s i"said receivi g openings, J,n ting said ta,.t termina j' page, said te'riinals fitting into said receivt p f: si e of said p a receiv o ening, apost inte al pi eces and surrtunded hy a conductor conaces and providedwith ,con-

having openin for said openings 0 as "to surround said posts, portionsosaid contact terminals outsts being sealed so" as to entirely eover'an 1protect said posts.

a 5; An 'lcct icul connection comprising two pieces to lie connectedeach provided with' a rec .i in}; opening, a post surrounded by each ricivmg opening and iptegral with t e piece with w uch it is associated,a condhctor connecting said ieces and provided with contact terminalsiuviug openings for said posts, said terminals fitting into saidreceiving opcnin indentations in said {mats and means or forcing thematerial of v said terminals into said indentations.

one'of the'conta'ct surfaces, namely the inner t one,can not corrode forto have corrosion, theair and moisture must. assdown-the =r;outsideofthehead across "t ebottom and opening and integral with provide 5. Anelectrical contact comprising a piece provided with, a receivingopening, a post integral with said piece and surround,- ed by saidreceiving opening a contact terminal rovided with an opening for saidpost, said contact terminal confined within said receiving opening so,as to surroundthe post and ma ting contact with the post and with thewall of the opening surrounding the post.

6. An electrical contact comprising two pieces to be electricallyconnected, both of said ieces havin separated concentric contact acesintegra with the'pieces, the contact faces of one piece making contactwith the contact faces of the other piece.

7. An electrical contact comprising a piece provided with a receivingopening, a post integral with said piece and surrounded by saidreceiving opening, a contact terminal provided with an opening forsaidpost, said contact terminal confined within said opening so as tosurround the post and make electrical contact with the post and with thewall of the opening surrounding the post, the outer end of said postbein completely covered so as to be sealed an protected.

8. An electrical connection comprising .a rail two separated cooperatinggripping surfaces, integral with-said rail,

the other, a contact terminal havin two separated cooperating grippingsur aces integral therewith, onc'witiin the other, the gripping surfacesof the terminal engaging the gripping surfaces of the rail.

9. A rail bond device comprising a rail provided with a receivingopening, arpost Integral with said rail and surrounds by said receivingopening a groove in said post, a contact terminal provided with anopening for said post' and having a part which surrounds the mat andfills the opening in the rail and time roovc in the post, thecoutact'terminal ma in electrical contact. with said post and witl theportion of the rail surrounding said post.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 18th day of July 1911.

FRANK l'}. JOHNSON. \Vitncsses:

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